


Triptych

by BethRedus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Mentions of violence and rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-01
Updated: 2015-09-01
Packaged: 2018-04-18 11:40:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4704758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BethRedus/pseuds/BethRedus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the middle of the war, Hermione begins to play a dangerous game...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Triptych

**Author's Note:**

> A triptych (from the Greek adjective τρίπτυχον ("three-fold"), from tri, "three" and ptyx, "fold")[ is a work of art that is divided into three sections

It is past midnight, however there is still light coming from the kitchen of a certain house of Grimmauld place, one of the countless war councils held by the remaining members of the order as the war drags on for almost two years now. Its society having collapsed and its ministry fallen, the wizarding world has submerged into chaos. No, time and Tom Riddle have not been lenient.  
The meeting is coming to a close when Hermione suddenly rises from her chair.  
,,Excuse me!” she says loudly, waiting for the other conversations too die down. ,,There is another matter I would like to discuss. I know this will come as a rather unpleasant surprise, however I bid everyone to hear me out until the end, agreed?”  
There are hesitant murmurs of agreement.  
She takes a deep breath: ,,Approximately three months ago I began an intimate relationship with Draco Malfoy.”  
The moment of dead silence only emphasizes the mayhem that immediately follows.  
,,Hermione!”  
,,How could you?!?”  
,,...death-eater...!”  
,,...any idea...!”  
,,SILENCE!” Remus shouts. It takes over a full minute for the assembled witches and wizards to settle down again.  
,,Hermione, proceed.”  
,,Three months ago I began seeing Draco Malfoy. For two months I have been extracting information from him. The attack on Diagon Alley, the planned ambush on the Roswells, we managed to prevent all that because I acquired that information. We saved countless lives.”  
The murmurs grow louder.  
,,Three days ago he asked me to speak to you. He wants to join the order and become our double agent.”  
Like before there is a moment of silence as the words sink in. And like before hell breaks loose.

,,What are his terms?”  
,,He has only one official condition towards the order. He want´s us to keep his mother in a safe house for the time of the war.”  
,,That could be years.”  
,,He knows.”  
,,We cannot guarantee her safety.”  
,,He knows.”  
,,Official terms?” Ron spits out. ,,Are there any unofficial terms? There is more to this isn´t it? What did you promise him? To keep on fucking him?”  
,,Don´t be vulgar Ronald.” She sounds like she is scolding a child.  
,,No tell us, Hermione.” Harry interjects. ,,Ron is right, you promised him something else.”  
,,Yes.” Her voice is suddenly soft, like she is telling a old, now irrelevant secret. ,,I promised we would see this through together. Nothing more, nothing less.”

,,How can we be sure to trust him?”  
,,He will undergo verisatum and legimency questioning. He know we are the only one able to protect his mother. She will practically be a hostage, the guarantee for his cooperation.” she halts for a moment. ,,Also you might want to consider his patronus. He will not betray me.”  
,,Well Miss Granger...” Shackebolt begins ,,...however this might turn out, we do have to thank you for your dedication to this order and your considerable sacrifices...”  
,,Sacrifices? Oh bloody hell! Do not belittle me for making these choices.  
All is fair in love and war and as you might have noticed this is war! Morals will do us no good, innocence or false virtue will only get us killed. I am a spy, sir. My body is a much a weapon as my mind and I know how to use it. So spare me your pity!” she snarls, slamming her hands on the table.  
,,What we need is information. Believe me when I tell you I have committed worse sins for the sake of this order! We all have. I am no more tainted than you.”

,,We put this now to vote!”

 

* * *

The meeting pace is surrounded by the order, hiding away in the thicket of the forest.  
,,Someone is coming.”  
,,Humano revelo.”  
,,They aren´t two, they´re three people!”  
,,What?!”  
,,Everyone get down!”  
,,He wouldn´t dare.”  
,,Hermione, get down!”  
Her voice is soft, but not a frantic whisper like the others ,,It´s fine.”  
,,Come out!” she calls. Two cloaked figures step out between the trees, throwing back their hoods to reveal their platinum blond hair.  
,,Draco and Narcissa Malfoy?”  
,,Yes.”  
,,Keep your hands in clear sight, any attempts to reach for your wands will be consider hostile. And tell your companion to step out, hands raised over their head.”  
,,Malfoy nods. ,,You heard her.”  
A third person emerges from the shadows. Malfoy steps forward, offering them a hand. ,,Consider this our peace offering.”  
,,What is the meaning of this?!” Harry hisses. ,,You promised you would only be accompanied by your mother! Who is this, unveil yourself!”  
The figure slides off their cloak, messy blond curls spill over her shoulders, pale blue eyes in an even paler and frailer face, running over the bushes as if she knows who exactly is hiding where.  
,,Luna!”  
,,Hello everyone!” she smiles and simply skips across the clearing to greet the members of the order as they emerge one by one.

,,Why are you here?” Harry begins the interrogation.  
,,We wish to join the order.”  
,,Why? Why now?”  
,,My husband is following a madman into the depths of hell and I have no intention of my son or myself accompanying him.”  
,,Would you raise your wand against your husband or sister in battle?”  
,,To protect my son, I would kill them with my bare hands.”  


,,Why would you switch for Hermione, a mudblood, to the enemies side?”  
,,She is the reason I can´t believe all that any more. If muggleborns are supposed to be stupid, why has she always been more intelligent than me? If muggleborns are supposed to be weak, why does she harbor so much power? If muggleborns are supposed to disgusting aberrations, why is she so beautiful? If muggleborns are supposed to be mudbloods, why did she bleed ruby red on our dining room carpet. And if muggleborns are supposed to be inferior animals, why does she make me feel human like no other?”

They meet in the middle of the clearing.  
He takes three steps to stand close to her, to look down at her as she stares back at him. He slowly leans down and lays his forehead against hers. Everyone has the urge to avert their eyes, the unveiled longing in his eyes making it more intimate than a kiss.  
Her hand flutters up against his cheek to cup his face and he closes his eyes for a long moment, then opens them again and moves away to stand by his mother.

,,Everyone, moving back to headquarters!”

 

 

* * *

 

 

After the final battle, as they are standing in the smoking ruins of the castle, Ron comes over to her, slipping his arms around her, bending down to kiss her.  
,,Ron, don´t!” she turns her head away and pushes him off her.  
,,Hermione, the war is over, you don´t have to pretend anymore!”  
,,Pretend what?” she hisses.  
He glances to her right where she knows he is standing, watching. ,,Pretend for Malfoy.”  
She laughs, a cold and hollow laugh. ,,So instead I should now pretend for you?”  
,,Hermione?”  
,,I´m sorry Ronald, but like you asked me to, I am done pretending! I am done pretending I know the solution to everything, I am done being the brightest witch of her age, Griffendors golden princess, I am done pretending I am the orders tool at beck and call. I am done pretending I am strong no matter what, that I don´t wake up screaming at night, that my wounds don´t hurt and I have no scars. I am done sacrificing myself.  
This war has taken me, beaten me and broken me. You just don´t want to see the cracks.  
I have been beaten, jinxed, hexed, cursed, I have starved, frozen, not slept days on end, I have been raped, used and humiliated, tortured, branded, I have looked death in the eye more than once, but he always looked away again  
I have stolen, I have used, I have lied. I have jinxed, hexed, cursed, tortured. I have killed. I have tried to take revenge, but revenge only leaves you hollow.  
This war gave may body and my mind for others to use and torment, it has crushed my ideals and my spirit, it has stripped me of my innocence and taken my youth from me.  
I´m not a little girl anymore, who dreams of the heroes in shining armor and fairytale endings she read of. I am no Griffendor anymore, who thinks a war is won by honor and bravery and loyalty.  
I have seen war, I have seen the battlefield, and I can say that is none of these heroics. War is dirty, disgusting, it brings out the worst in any ever so good being. No one can keep their hands clean. We all have become filth, doing the dirty work.  
You don´t want to know how many I have slept with for the sake of the wizarding world.  
_But Draco Malfoy was never one of them!”_  
Her voice carries across the battlefield. She know he is listening to every word, feels his eyes on her, grey as the stormy sea.  
,,I told you of our affair in a cold, calculating manner, as if I had planned everything from the start, that I was only meeting with him for the sake of the order.  
I never told you how we met, that is was purely coincidence we ran into each other at the bottom of that green welsh hill. I never told you that we never spoke of the war, never, until one day he told be they were going to attack the Rowells that night before disapparating. He made the decision to give me information, he made the decision to switch sides.  
I didn´t sleep with him to manipulate him. I slept with him to have human touch, to feel, to be happy. He was the only thing that kept me sane, I kept him from falling apart. So we promised to stay by each others side, to hold each other when the nightmares come.  
I will stop pretending he was only an assignment. He was never assigned to me, I chose him out of my own free will.”  
She turns then to face him, her lover, the first rays of morning sun lighting up her face, making her eyes glow like amber. She smiles, a tired, but blissed smile, then holds out her hand.

,,I will stop pretending I don´t love him.”

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to create a bit of atmosphere here...
> 
> Feel free to comment.


End file.
